Strange Bedfellows
by Mark C
Summary: When Castle and Beckett travel to Las Vegas to pick up a witness, they're not quite prepared for the problem that pops up.
1. Chapter 1

**Disclaimer:** All characters within, except the odd ones created by me, are the property of ABC Studios and Andrew Marlowe

**Summary:** When Castle and Beckett travel to Las Vegas to pick up a witness, they're not quite prepared for the problem that pops up.

**AN:** Special thanks goes out to tanyareed for her betaing skills. This story takes place towards the end of season 3 but before the season finale _Knockout_.

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><p>Detective Kate Beckett and her team had just caught wannabe mobster William 'Slick' Sloan. He was involved heavily in illegal gambling and extortion. The death of three of Sloan's 'customers' brought the man to Beckett's attention, and what linked the man to the murders was that all three victims were killed in the same manner, three shots to the back of the head.<p>

During their canvassing of the latest scene, Detectives Ryan and Esposito had found a witness. The surprising thing about the witness was that he was known to them, especially to Rick Castle. Jimmy 'the Weasel' Deluca was the witness's name and he was a research contact for the author. When Castle started shadowing Beckett, he and the detective would pay a visit to Jimmy from time to time to see if he had heard or seen anything.

His tips had led them to Sloan once the first body was found. A week or so after he witnessed the third, he disappeared. Beckett had heard that there was a hit placed on Jimmy. Knowing that gave him a reason to get out of town before she had a chance to put him in protective custody.

With an APB out for Jimmy, it did not take long for them to learn that he had taken a plane from LaGuardia to Las Vegas. Knowing Jimmy's destination, Captain Montgomery made a call down to the LVPD to be on the look out for their man.

It was not until the following day that Montgomery got a call from Las Vegas. Captain Mike Calhoun informed his New York counterpart that his guys had no trouble in locating Jimmy and that they were holding him for them to come down and pick up. It did not take much thought for Montgomery to decide who to send out to Vegas.

"Beckett, Castle, I need a word with you," Montgomery commanded to the pair from the doorway of his office before heading back inside.

The pair looked at each other, not knowing what the Captain wanted. They rose from their respective seats and went to see what Montgomery wanted.

"Close the door, please," the Captain instructed as he took a seat behind his desk.

Castle was the last one through and did what was asked. He and Beckett took the pair of chairs that were in front of Montgomery's desk.

"If you don't mind me asking but what do you want with us, sir?" Beckett asked eager to find out why she and the author were summoned into her boss's office.

"I just got off the phone with no a Captain Calhoun from Nevada, and he's found Castle's friend, Jimmy."

"Well, I wouldn't consider him a friend really," Castle interjected.

"Castle," started Beckett to silence the author before asking, "Where did he say Jimmy was?"

Montgomery swiftly answered, "They found him in Las Vegas. Calhoun and his detectives spotted Jimmy on the Strip and picked him after they heard we were looking for him."

"It's been a while since I've been to Vegas," Castle told them with a whimsical look on his face.

Before Castle could say any more, Beckett asked, "So, I take it you're sending us to go pick up Jimmy?"

"Exactly," Montgomery answered. "And before you ask why I'm sending you two it's because Jimmy knows Castle the best and he seems to be more at ease around you two."

"When are we leaving, sir?"

Before the Captain could answer the detective's question, Castle provided one. "How does 1:30 this afternoon sound, Beckett?"

"What…" Beckett said, puzzled by the author's statement.

"While you and the Captain were talking, I made arrangements for us to take a flight out of JFK. Their next available flight was for 1:30, so I got us tickets, if that is all right with you, Roy," Castle stated.

"Fine with me, that's just one less thing the department will have to pay out of its own pocket," replied Montgomery with a slight chuckle. "Get out of here, you two, and I'll see you when you get back."

The duo made their way back to Beckett's desk to prepare to head out on their assignment. Both Ryan and Esposito watched as they came back.

"What did Montgomery want?" Ryan asked eager to find out.

"He got a call from the Las Vegas PD saying they had located Jimmy and have him in custody. Montgomery is sending Castle and me to go and bring him back," Kate explained as she gathered her things to leave.

"When do you guys leave?" Esposito questioned.

"Our flight doesn't leave until 1:30," Castle answered as he grabbed his jacket off the back of his chair.

"You two have a good time bringing the 'Weasel' back," stated Ryan as he watched Castle and Beckett head over to the elevator.

"But not _too_ much fun," Esposito added as he and Ryan laughed.

Beckett gave her fellow detective an angry glare just before entering the elevator with Castle.

Just as the doors closed, Castle mentioned, "I got us a room over at the Mirage while we're in Vegas in case we…"

"You what!" Beckett questioned, angrily.

"It's not like it sounds, Kate. I got us a hospitality suite that has _two_ bedrooms in case we needed to stay over because I highly doubt we'll be able to bring Jimmy back so quickly."

"I'm sorry, Castle. I didn't mean to snap at you like that."

"Don't worry about it, Detective, but I wouldn't be me if that thought didn't cross my mind. You know I can always get a one bedroom suite," Castle said, waggling his eyebrows at her.

Kate playfully swatted the author. "In your dreams, Castle."

"Ah, but they are such wonderful dreams," Castle returned as they got off the elevator and then made their way out of the precinct. "Do you want me to swing by your apartment later so that we can leave for the airport?"

"Sounds like a good idea, Castle. I'm surprised you came up with it," Kate joked as the pair walked to her car.

"As you well know, I do come up with them on occasion, more often than not," Rick told her as they entered the vehicle and headed to his loft. "Do you want to have lunch before you head home?"

"Thanks, but I'll pick up something after I drop you off. When will you be at my place?"

Castle looked at his watch, seeing that it was going on 10:30 am. "I'd say an hour. We'll use my car service to take us to JFK."

"Sounds good," Kate replied as she pulled up to Castle's building. "See you in an hour."

Once he got inside, Rick made a call to his car service to arrange their transportation to the airport. He then fixed himself an overnight bag in the likelihood that they would be spending the night in Las Vegas before he fixed himself something to eat.

After finishing off a simple ham and Swiss cheese sandwich, Rick left a note for Alexis and his mother letting them know where he was going. When he completed the note, he was informed that the car was outside waiting for him. Picking up his bag and locking the door behind him, Rick met the car and headed over to Beckett's.

As luck would have it, Kate was just coming out of her building when Castle arrived.

"Your carriage awaits, Madame," Castle tells her with a flourish while holding the door open.

"Thanks," replied Kate as she smiled at Castle's antics.

Castle got back inside the car, and they made their way to the airport. Traffic was not too bad so they arrived at the airport before noon giving them plenty of time to make it through security to catch their flight.

"Where are our seats, Castle?" Kate asked once they boarded the plane.

"Follow me, Detective," Castle answered as they passed through the coach section.

"First class, really?"

"Why not, detective? It's nice to travel in style, so relax and enjoy the ride."

"You do know that we'll have to get a ticket for Jimmy when we bring him back and that at least one of us will have to sit with him."

"Already taken care of, Beckett," Castle told her as he patted the breast pocket of his sports jacket. "Got him a ticket for the return flight."

Before she could say anything, they were told to buckle up as they were about ready to take off.

"You know, if you want to hold my hand as we lift off, I wouldn't hold it against you," Castle said charmingly.

"That's all right, I think I can manage without that," Kate said with a small smile.

After Kate said that, the plane started down the runway. To Castle's surprise, Beckett reached out and held his hand. He could have made a smartass remark but kept quiet and gave her hand a gentle squeeze.

It was several minutes later when Kate released Castle's hand, even though she did not really want to. That thought startled her a bit, but she never thought more of it. Feeling a little tired and knowing it would be a few hours before they'd reach Las Vegas, Kate shut her eyes and slowly drifted off to sleep.

A few minutes later, Rick felt something on his shoulder. What he saw brought a huge smile to his face noticing that Kate had her head on his shoulder fast asleep. Thinking that a nap was not a bad idea, he closed his eyes and fell asleep minutes later with his head falling right next to Kate's.

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><p>About four and a half hours later, their plane landed in Las Vegas. Picking up their bags did not take long. Castle asked his partner if they should go to the Mirage first to drop of their bags or go see the LVPD first. Beckett decided that they should probably go to the station first. Hailing a cab and then getting in, they were taken to their destination.<p>

"Detective Beckett, Mr. Castle, nice to meet you," Captain Calhoun greeted the pair as they walked into the local police station.

After a round of shared pleasantries, the Captain led the duo down to the department's holding area where Jimmy Deluca was being held. It was not long before Jimmy noticed Castle and Beckett approaching his cell.

"Ricky, Detective Beckett, how's it goin'?" Jimmy asked in greeting.

Beckett quickly supplied an answer, "Would be going even better if we didn't have to come all the way out here to pick you up, Jimmy."

"You know, Jimmy, that you could've been put into protective custody until the trial is over," Castle added.

"I was just too afraid that Slick's boys would come after me, that's all," replied Jimmy.

"That's understandable but you have to trust us to keep you safe. You're an important witness and you can put Sloan away for a very long time. Without you, he can continue killing whomever he feels gets in his way. I don't think you want that," Beckett told Jimmy, reassuring the man.

"Yeah, I don't. So, when do we head on back to New York?"

Castle and Beckett turned to Calhoun who then provided all of them an answer as he addressed them, "The paperwork was drawn up this morning and can be processed now that you are here. I don't see any problem with you taking Mr. Deluca tomorrow morning."

With not much to do but wait until morning, Castle and Beckett took their leave and went to the Mirage. It did not take long to get to the hotel and not much longer to get to their room. Kate was impressed with the suite as she went to her own bedroom. It was at that time her cell phone rang.

Glancing at the ID, she answered swiftly, "Hey Lanie, what's up?"

"_I got some bad news for you, girl. It's about your apartment_," Lanie Parish said to her friend.

"Great, what is it?"

"_From what I was told, a water pipe burst and completely flooded your place._"

"Son of a…"

"_If you want a silver lining in all of this, nothing important of yours was damaged by the water, but that doesn't mean some stuff wasn't._"

"Lanie, I know this may be asking a lot but can you…"

"_Already done, sweetie. I got some clothes and other things over at my place. Anything else you'll have to get when you come back. You'll have to get in touch with your super to find out more._"

"Thanks, Lanie," Kate ended the call there and tossed her phone on the bed in frustration. "Damn it!"

"What's the matter, Kate?" Castle asked with concern as he appeared in the doorway.

"Lanie called to let me know about a water pipe bursting in my apartment. Won't find out how bad it is until I see my super. Lanie has some of my clothes at her place which gives me something to look forward to when we get back," Kate informed him.

"You know if you need a place to stay…"

"I… I'll let you know, Castle. Right now I just want to take my mind off it."

"You know we are in the right place to make one forget their troubles. What do you say, Beckett, are you game?"

Kate thought about it for a bit and decided that it would not be so bad. "All right Castle, you're on."

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><p>The following morning Kate was slowly waking up but feeling so comfortable, she did not want to. Moving a hand around, Kate realized that she was not touching the mattress but touching someone. Opening her eyes she saw who she had been sleeping with.<p>

"Castle," she said surprisingly.

All the answer she got from the author was a little grumbling.

Kate then started pushing Castle by his shoulders in an attempt to wake him up when she noticed something on her left hand.

"Castle!" Kate exclaimed while smacking him awake.

"What's the matter?" Rick asked sleepily.

"What in the hell did we do last night?" Kate asked him while she held up her left hand to show him a gold band on her ring finger.

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><p><strong>AN:<strong> Let me know what you thought by taking a moment to leave a review. Flames are not welcome.**  
><strong>


	2. Chapter 2

**AN:** Thanks to all who have read, commented and alerted. The response to this story has been amazing. Now, on to the next installment.

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><p>"What in the hell did we do last night?" Kate asked him while she held up her left hand to show him a gold band on her ring finger.<p>

Castle took a very long look at the detective's hand and started laughing. "Ha ha, that's very funny, Kate."

"Do you see me laughing?" Kate then grabbed Castle's left hand and showed it to him. To his surprise, he was wearing what appeared to be a wedding ring as well.

That stopped his laughter. Being married to Kate was not unappealing to him. In fact, it was very appealing. Castle's mind began working to see if this was indeed a joke.

"Okay, there's only one way to know for sure if we are _legally_ married, and that's if there's a marriage license," stated Castle as he got out of bed and searched for the clothes he wore yesterday.

Kate's eyes grew wide as she took in Castle's appearance. She knew the man was handsome but seeing him in just his boxers took her breath away. _Get your mind on the task at hand, Kate, and look for that license_, she thought as she joined in the search.

Castle heard Beckett get out of bed and happened to look her way. What he saw was absolutely jaw dropping. All of his wishes and desires were now fulfilled as he saw the beautiful Kate Beckett in only a black lacy bra and panties. It was taking all of Castle's willpower to control himself. Stopping his search for the time being, he went to the bathroom and grabbed one of the robes hanging from the door.

He approached Kate, turned his head in a gentlemanly manner, held out the robe, and said, "I think you may want to put this on."

Kate took a quick look at herself, blushing profusely while accepting the offered garment, saying, "Thanks."

Castle acknowledged her appreciation with a nod of his head, and they continued their search.

It was not long after that that he found his pants and sports jacket. Searching the pants, Castle found nothing. He then searched the sports jacket. Inside, he still had their return flight tickets to New York butt there was also another sheet of paper. Taking a look at the sheet, he knew right away that Beckett was not going to like it.

"Kate," Castle called out to her, "take a look at this."

She walked over to the chair where Castle was sitting and took the paper he held out to her. Taking a seat next him, she looked at it and reacted exactly how Castle thought she would.

"It's true then, we are married," a dejected Kate said as she dropped the license that was signed by both of them.

"You know you could do a heckuva lot worse," Rick said, trying to inject a little humour into the situation.

Castle's comment got the desired result, a slight smile from the detective.

"What are we going to do about this?" Kate asked, much calmer than she was a few minutes ago.

Castle draped an arm across her shoulders in reassurance. "I'll get my lawyer to take a good look at license to make sure it is legal. Once that is taken care of we can decide what to do from there. For now, we might as well shower, get something to eat, and go pick up Jimmy."

Knowing her partner was right, there was nothing they could do on the wedding front for now. So Kate gathered a change of clothes and went to the bathroom to shower. Castle did the same and was headed in the exact same direction.

Kate noticed what he was doing and curiously asked, "Castle, what are you doing?"

Castle's reply came quickly, "I'm going to take a shower and, since you're having one, I thought…"

"You thought wrong, mister. I'm showering here, and you can use the other."

"Spoilsport."

They both went their separate ways to prepare themselves for what they had to do while tabling their thoughts about being married for when they returned to New York.

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><p>After they had breakfast, the duo gathered their things and checked out of the <em>Mirage<em> since they would be leaving for the airport once they had Jimmy in custody. Before they left, Castle and Beckett decided that they would remove their rings because they wanted to keep their marriage to themselves for the time being. Castle removed his and stuck it in his pants pocket, while Kate put hers in a surprising place, on the necklace that held her mother's wedding ring.

When they arrived at the Las Vegas precinct that housed their witness, they weren't greeted by Captain Calhoun but by an officer manning the front desk.

"Good morning, Detective and Mr. Castle, Cap has been expecting you. Follow me please," the young officer instructed.

The officer had brought them to Calhoun's office and was escorted them inside.

Calhoun noticed the pair's arrival and motioned them to take a seat. "I'll be right with you."

Castle and Beckett sat down in front of the Captain's desk. One would think that the pair would only be thinking about bringing their witness back. Unfortunately there was also another matter for them to think on. Being married to each other was weighing on their minds, or at least it was on Kate's. She took a look over at her partner and noticed that he appeared to be in a 'business as usual' state while they waited. _How can he be so calm_, Kate thought, even though she was not letting her inner turmoil show. She then thought that Castle was probably doing the same as she was. Before she could ask him, Calhoun got off the phone.

"Sorry to keep you two waiting. I was just talking to your Captain Montgomery, Detective Beckett, and letting him know that you should have your witness back in custody today. All I need for you to do is sign a couple forms and then you'll be free to take your witness," Calhoun informed them while handing a clipboard over to Beckett with the forms for her to sign.

Beckett signed the forms and handed them back to the Captain. The three left the Captain's office and he escorted the pair to their holding area so they could take charge of Jimmy Deluca.

"How was your night, Jimmy?" Castle asked once they arrived.

"Wasn't all that bad, Ricky," Jimmy answered as he left the holding cell and stretched to get the kinks out. "You?"

"Let's just say it was _very_ interesting."

"Oh, I bet it was, especially with the lovely Detective Beckett at your side you…"

Kate elbowed Jimmy in the side before saying, "I don't think you want to finish what your saying Jimmy, if you want to be back in New York in one piece."

"Yeah, sure thing, Detective," Jimmy said in an apologetic tone.

"Good boy," Beckett said with a smirk and turned her attention over to Captain Calhoun. "Thanks for keeping Jimmy here, and I hope he wasn't much trouble."

"Hey! I resent that remark."

"That's all right," Calhoun began, "I'm just happy that our department was able to find your man and hold onto him so you could pick him up. It was a pleasure to meet you, Detective Beckett, and you as well, Mr. Castle. I hope you have a nice flight back."

He gave the detective and the author each a handshake and escorted them personally out of the building to a waiting taxi. It was not long before the trio arrived at the airport, went through security without incident, and finally boarded the plane for the return trip to New York.

"Aw, come on, Beckett! Is this really necessary?" Jimmy whined as the detective handcuffed him.

"Just be thankful you're in first class instead of in the baggage compartment," Beckett told him as she took the middle seat. "Besides, you do have the window seat."

"That makes me feel so much better now."

"Relax, Jimmy, and enjoy the ride," Castle told him as he settled himself in his seat next to the aisle.

"Not much else I can do, I guess."

They were informed to buckle up as the plane prepared for take off. Shortly thereafter, they were in the air and, just like before, Castle and Beckett held hands as the plane rose into the air. All Castle could do was smile at the gesture. He did not think that their current situation would warrant her holding his hand but he would take it.

"You good over there, Jimmy?" Castle asked once they were told it was okay to unbuckle their seatbelts.

"I'm fine, Ricky," answered Jimmy.

"Good, we should be back in New York early this afternoon."

The rest of the trip was made in silence, but Beckett claimed Castle's hand once again. He smiled at the gesture again and gave her hand a gentle squeeze before he fell asleep. Beckett took a glance at her partner and a smile graced her face. For the time being, she felt herself relax, knowing that she and the author would figure out what to do about being married once things with Jimmy were taken care of.

They landed at JFK without a single problem. Castle had informed Beckett that he had got in touch with his car service and that a vehicle would be waiting for them once they got off the plane. It did not take them long to get their bags, and they both escorted Jimmy to the car. Once inside, Beckett informed the driver to take them to the Twelfth precinct and, when that was done, they were on their way.

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><p>In no time at all, they arrived at the Twelfth, and they went up to the homicide division and straight to Captain Montgomery's office.<p>

"How was Vegas?" Ryan asked they passed by.

"Yeah, anything interesting you would like to share about the trip, bro?" Esposito added.

"Let's just say it was interesting," Castle cryptically answered.

"Come on, Castle, let's get your friend here to the Captain," Beckett told him as they continued on their way.

The knocked on Montgomery's door and he waved them in. "Did you have any problems bringing Mr. Deluca back?" he asked the pair.

"You weren't a problem were you Jimmy?" Beckett asked.

Castle leaned over and whispered in his ear with a smirk, "If I were you, Jimmy, I would answer with a no."

"Nope, not a problem, sir," Jimmy answered.

"Good to hear. Mr. Deluca, I'm going to have detectives Ryan and Esposito go over everything about you being in protective custody," Montgomery explained to the man while he waved an officer over. "This officer will take you to them now."

"Ricky, Detective Beckett, see ya around," Jimmy said as he was taken out of Montgomery's office and, just before leaving, he shook both their hands.

Once Jimmy was gone, the Captain focussed his attention on the two people left in his office. "Beckett, Castle, you two can go home since there are no new cases and since Mr. Deluca will be left in the best of care."

"But sir…" Beckett began.

"That's an order, Detective. Since its Friday, I don't want to see either of you until Monday. Do I make myself clear?"

"Yes, sir," Beckett answered reluctantly.

"Thank you, sir, and we'll see you on Monday," Castle said as he grabbed Beckett by the elbow and led her out of the office.

They had walked over to the elevator to wait for its arrival when Castle said, "Kate, if you don't have a place to stay, you can stay at the loft for as long as you want. Alexis would be glad to have you around."

"Oh, Castle, I don't…" Beckett began. She did not want to impose, even if staying with Castle and his daughter would not be a bad idea.

"Plus, we can get to work on our 'marriage' situation."

That was a good point, and with her staying at the loft, they could keep being married to themselves without prying ears finding out.

"All right, I'll go see Lanie to get some of my stuff, and I'll meet you back at your place in about an hour."

"Sounds like a plan, Detective."

The doors opened and they stepped in. Castle got off on the main floor while Beckett continued on down to the morgue.

It was almost an hour later when Kate arrived. Rick showed her to the guest room and left her to unpack. She told him they could go to her place tomorrow to pick up more of her stuff and to arrange to store the rest while her apartment was being fixed.

When she came out of the guest room, Kate could not find Castle anywhere. So she went to his office and saw him with what appeared to be a DVD.

"What do you have there, Castle?" Kate asked with interest.

"I found this amongst my things when I unpacked. I think it's a video of our wedding," Castle answered her in all seriousness. "Do you want to see it?"

"It may help us figure out how we got married, so I think we should," replied Kate, wanting to get to the bottom of their current marital status.

Castle nodded, and they went to the living room to watch their wedding.

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><p><strong>AN:<strong> As always, let me know what you think by leaving a review. Constructive critism is always welcome but flames are not.


	3. Chapter 3

**AN:** So, what's on that DVD. Well, wait no longer...

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><p>It only took Rick and Kate a few minutes to view their wedding. Now they knew where it took place, <em>Chapel of the Bells<em>. The other thing that was very noticeable was that they were not completely of sound mind when they got married.

"I can _not_ believe that we were drunk when this happened!" Kate exclaimed in shock once they finished watching the video. "The thing that really takes the cake is that they _let_ us get married in the state we were in."

"We must have said something pretty convincing if they let us get married," Rick added, also surprised at what was on the DVD.

They sat in silence for a time, continuing to watch the video as they let it sink in on how they had gotten themselves into the situation that they were now in.

Kate broke the silence by saying, "Now that we've got the wedding piece of this puzzle, we need to figure out how we got there. Do you remember anything about last night?"

Rick was silent for a bit as he gathered his thoughts and then answered, "I think so, and feel free to jump in at any time. First, I remember, we had dinner at one of the restaurants at the _Mirage_, don't ask me which."

"Yeah, I remember that," Kate interrupted and then continued, "After we finished, I believe you wanted us to go to the casino."

"That's right. I think that I had a hard time deciding on what I should play first. If I recall, you were very interested in playing poker there, but you said that you didn't think you had the cash to play."

"I do recall that, and you gave me a thousand dollars to play. I still can't wrap my head around why you would do that."

"You're a friend, Kate, and I know how much you enjoy playing, especially when you're able to come over here to play. Besides, we were in Vegas for the night, and I wanted you to have some fun."

Kate smiled at the gesture and thought, _Typical Castle_. Over the past two plus years that they worked together, she had seen how big a heart the author had, especially with the people he cared about. That was certainly one of the things she liked about him, and she was surprised to admit that to herself.

"If I didn't say it before, I'm going to say it now, thanks, Castle," she told him appreciatively.

"Anytime, Detective, anytime," answered Castle with a heart-warming smile. "When you went to play poker, I decided to play some blackjack. I think I only played a few hands and then wandered on over to where you were."

"That's right. I remember you coming over and eventually joining the game. You couldn't let me have all the fun playing poker, could you?" Kate joked.

"I have to keep my poker skills sharp for the next time you and the guys come over to play. You certainly keep me on my toes, Detective," Rick answered before getting back on topic. "As I recall, we kept going back and forth between winning hands. After that I can't remember anything else, at least right now, anyway."

"That's all right, Castle. During that time we must have been drinking. I know that I was, but it wasn't enough to forget getting married to you."

"I agree with you there," Rick told her as the door to the loft opened and a young red head came inside.

Swiftly, Kate popped the DVD out of the player and passed it over to Rick. He then placed it back in its case and put it between the couch cushions.

Alexis dropped her school bag by the door and noticed that her dad and Detective Beckett were sitting on the couch.

"Dad, Kate, when did you get back?" Alexis asked as she came over to give her dad a hug.

"We got back a couple of hours ago, and everything went fine with bringing Jimmy back," Rick explained to his daughter as she sat down next to him. "How was your day, pumpkin?"

For the next couple of minutes, Kate watched the interaction between father and daughter, which brought a smile to her face. Despite Castle's acting like a nine year old on a sugar high on occasion, it never ceased to amaze her how good a relationship he had with his daughter.

She was brought out of her musing by the girl that was part of her thoughts. "Are you staying for dinner, Kate? You are more than welcome to," Alexis said happily because she wanted Kate to stay.

"Oh, Beckett is definitely going to have dinner with us tonight, sweetie. Along with breakfast and lunch for the foreseeable future," Castle told his daughter.

Her father's statement surprised her. Before she could ask a question about this turn of events, Kate provided an explanation.

"Alexis, your dad offered to let me stay here for a while because of a damaged water pipe at my apartment. Lanie let me know about this when we were still in Las Vegas. When your dad found out, he made the offer and you know how persistent he can be," Kate told Alexis with a little smirk at her last comment.

"Tell me about it," Alexis added sarcastically, laughing.

"Is this what I get for being a good friend and father?" Rick asked indignantly.

Alexis and Kate looked at each other for a moment and answered together, "Yes."

Rick groaned at their response and decided to steer the conversation into another direction. "What do you want for dinner tonight? Order in or go out?"

Then an idea popped into Alexis's head. "How about spaghetti? I'm pretty sure we've got everything we need."

"That doesn't sound like a bad idea," Kate chimed in.

"Well, I guess the tribe has spoken and it will be Spaghetti a la Castle tonight," Rick said agreeing on the choice. "We can also have garlic bread and a salad to go along with it."

"Sounds good, Dad. I'll get changed out of my uniform and help get dinner going," Alexis told them as she went to grab her backpack and continued on to her room.

Once Alexis was gone, Rick pulled the DVD from between the couch cushions and went to his office with Kate hot on his heels. He moved over to his desk, pulled open a drawer, put the DVD inside, and locked it.

"It should be safe in there," he told Kate as they left the office and went to the kitchen.

"So, you're not going to tell her what happened?" Kate asked, not knowing if she really wanted his daughter to know.

Rick was still getting things out to prepare their dinner when he answered. "Like I said earlier, I think we should keep our marriage between us for now. I'm not thrilled that I'm going to be lying to my daughter about this, but I believe it's our best option for the time being. If circumstances change, and she needs to know, I want it to be a mutual decision between us to tell her."

Kate appreciated that Castle wanted her permission to tell Alexis, and actually found it kind of sweet. She also knew that his decision not to tell his daughter was a tough one, knowing how close they were.

"I can go along with that," Kate said, feeling more at ease about it. "So, what can I do to help?"

Rick instructed Kate to wash some mushrooms and peppers and then chop them while he prepared to brown some ground beef to go into the sauce. When Alexis joined them, her father told her that she could get the sauce going. Once Alexis did that, she helped Kate with the chopping. When they finished the chopping, Alexis prepared some garlic bread while Kate put the spaghetti into the boiling water they had put on before finishing with their chopping.

In no time at all, Rick combined the sauce, ground beef, mushrooms and peppers together. As Rick went about that, Alexis and Kate fixed a salad and then set the table. Seeing that the spaghetti was now ready, Rick prepared three plates and put one in front of his daughter and Kate. When Rick fixed his plate, passed around the salad and garlic bread, as they enjoyed what they had all helped in preparing. This reminded Kate of all the times her family had dinner together. Eating with Castle and his daughter felt like she had that again which made her feel warm inside.

While they ate, they enjoyed the light conversation they shared that mostly centered on what Alexis had been up to while Kate and her father were gone. After they had finished eating, they cleared the table and put the dirty dishes in the dishwasher before moving to the living room.

"I have to say that spaghetti was delicious," Kate said, relaxing on the couch.

"Thank you, milady, anything to please you," Rick expressed with a nod of his head.

"Are you guys up for a movie?" Alexis asked eagerly.

"Sure, how about you, Beckett?"

"Sounds like a good idea," Kate replied. "Do you have anything in mind, Alexis?"

"I'll surprise you. Dad, you and Kate can prepare the popcorn and drinks while I go pick out a movie."

"All right, pumpkin, what do you want to drink?"

"Anything will be fine, dad."

Rick then told her with a straight face, "Good, one scotch on the rocks then."

"Daaaaaad!"

"Just kidding, sweetheart, a soda would be a much better and appropriate choice."

After that was said they all went to go about their designated tasks. Kate helped Rick with the popcorn, filling three huge bowls full so that they each had one for themselves. Rick then grabbed Alexis her soda and asked Kate if she wanted some wine while watching the movie. Kate told him that would be fine and was instructed where to find the wine glasses and a bottle of wine. With popcorn and drinks, they placed everything down on the coffee table and waited for Alexis to return.

"So, what are we watching, dear daughter of mine?" Rick asked while he poured glasses of wine for him and Kate.

"I chose _Honeymoon in Vegas_," Alexis told him as she popped the film in the DVD player.

The movie choice was greeted by groans from Rick and Kate.

Alexis asked, "What's the matter, guys?"

Her father answered, "It's nothing, sweetie. It's just…"

"We've just come back from Las Vegas and we didn't expect to see anything related to that city so soon," finished Kate, hoping that her explanation would satisfy the girl.

"Do you want me to get another movie?" Alexis asked, not pressing them for a better answer.

"No!" Rick and Kate both exclaimed and received a puzzling look from Alexis.

"It's fine, Alexis," Rick told his daughter.

"Your dad's right, Alexis. The movie is fine. Let's just sit back and enjoy watching it," added Kate.

Alexis put the movie on, and they sat back to enjoy it, or at least try to. Even though the film did not show a wedding similar to what happened to Rick and Kate, it did remind the pair that what happened between happened in Las Vegas. When the film came to an end, two of the three individuals watching it were glad that it was over.

"Alexis, sweetie, time for bed," Rick said as he nudged her from his side.

She slowly lifted her head off her father's shoulder, yawned once and got off the couch.

"Good night, Dad. Good night, Kate," Alexis said as she kissed and hugged her father. Then, to Kate's surprise, she hugged her as well.

"You to, pumpkin," replied Rick, returning his daughter's gesture by kissing the top of her head.

"Good night, Alexis," added Kate as she watched the teen head to her room. "I think I'll call it a night as well."

"I'm going to do some writing before I go to bed. I don't feel that tired yet," Rick said and then turned to Kate before heading to his office. "Tomorrow, I'll get in touch with my lawyer. Since it's the weekend, I don't know if he could do anything, but it's a start at least."

"That's true. I also need to go to my apartment to straighten things out and get some more clothes. Do you mind going with me?"

"It would be an honor and a pleasure, madame," Rick replied with a bow.

"Thanks. Good night, Castle."

"You too, Detective."

* * *

><p><strong>AN:<strong> As always, reviews are very welcome because I like to hear what the readers think. Flames are not welcome.


	4. Chapter 4

Kate was aroused from her sleep by a wonderful aroma. _Something certainly smells good_, she thought as she got out of bed. Kate then let her nose guide her to the kitchen where she was greeted by the sight of Castle fixing breakfast for Alexis while the teen sat on a stool by the breakfast bar.

"Good morning, Kate," Alexis greeted as she took another bite of her breakfast.

Castle turned around after flipping over a couple of slices of French toast. "Yes, good morning, detective."

"And to you both as well," replied Kate, taking a stool next to Alexis as Castle gave her a freshly stacked plate of French toast.

"Just help yourself to whatever you want with French toast," Castle instructed while he went back to his work.

Alexis passed over the maple syrup and showed her the various types of sliced fruits to go along with it. While she prepared her breakfast, Castle took the stool next to her and fixed his plate. Before he dug in, he passed a cup of coffee over to her.

"I thought you might want a cup," Castle told her with a warm smile.

She took the offered mug gratefully and took a nice sip. After that she took a bite of her maple syrup covered French toast.

"That is soooo, good," Kate said happily, taking another bite.

"Why, thank you, detective. That is high praise coming from you."

Kate gave Castle a playful swat on the arm for that comment and continued eating her breakfast. When everyone was finished, they gathered the dirty dishes to rinse them off and put them in the dishwasher.

"So, what's on the agenda today, pumpkin?" Castle asked his daughter.

"Hanging out with Paige this morning and then probably catching a movie. I should be home for dinner tonight," answered Alexis.

"Have fun, sweetheart."

Castle came over to give his daughter a warm hug.

"But not too much fun, right Dad?"

"I wouldn't say that. I've always encouraged you to have more than enough fun."

Kate chose that moment to interject, "Castle, you do know there is a cop in the room."

"Yeah but I have her in my back pocket," Castle said with a smirk.

A playful swat from Kate shut Castle up and elicited a laugh from Alexis.

"Are you sure it will be safe to leave you two alone for a while," Alexis asked before heading to her room to change.

"We'll be fine, pumpkin. See you when you get back," Castle told his daughter as he turned on the dishwasher.

Just before the remaining pair left the kitchen, Kate asked, "Where's Martha, Castle? I've been meaning to ask since she wasn't here last night."

"She's gone for a couple weeks, making preparations for her acting school, so things around here should be relatively calm," Castle answered with a small chuckle.

Kate shook her head at his answer but she knew, despite all of his joking, Castle loved his mother.

"What time were you planning on going over to your place?" Castle asked as they left the kitchen.

"I was thinking that I would be good to go after a shower and a change of clothes," Kate answered.

"Sounds good. You need some help?"

"With what, Castle?"

"Oh you know, removing your clothes and/or helping you in the shower. I have it on good authority that I am a very good washer because I can clean in all the right places," Castle answered waggling his eyebrows.

"In your dreams, Castle," replied Kate with an eye roll.

"Ah, but they are such beautiful dreams."

"Yeah, keep telling yourself that."

They parted ways to shower and change. Much to Castle's dismay, they went about their business separately.

* * *

><p>Roughly an hour later, they arrived at Kate's building and went straight to her landlady's office. Kate told Castle that he could wait outside the super's office while she found out the extent of the damage to her place and how long she would have to stay out of it.<p>

"Damn it!" Kate exclaimed angrily once she left the landlady's office, some twenty minutes after she entered.

"What's the matter?" Castle asked, standing in front of her with a reassuring hand on her shoulder.

Kate plopped herself on a nearby chair while Castle took the one next it.

"Six months, Castle. Six freakin' months, at least."

"Are you saying that…"

"That's exactly what I'm saying. For the next six months they'll be ripping the place apart to fix the pipes. Once that is done, they'll have to get a contractor to repair floors and walls once the pipes are fixed or replaced."

After hearing Kate explain what was happening with her apartment something suddenly popped into Castle's head.

"You said at least six months, does that mean it could take longer?"

"Yeah, she told me that six months was a safe estimate and that it could be as long as a year," a dejected Kate said.

"A year!" Castle exclaimed.

"That's exactly what I said. They might have to replace all the water pipes, which is what would take the extra time, and they don't want to have to go back a few months later to do more work if they can do it all now."

"Can't really fault them for that, Kate, but still a year…"

"I know but what makes matters worse is that during that time my lease is up. That leaves me with a couple of options."

"And they are?"

"First is the obvious one; find a new place. Finding this place was hard enough and hunting for an apartment in my price range… not an easy task."

"What's the second?"

"Well, I can hold onto the place until the lease runs out, if repairs aren't finished yet. When the place is fixed and the lease has run out, the super told me that if I still wanted the place that I would have the first crack at it."

"Of course, you'd have to have a place to stay for that second option of yours to work," Rick mentioned wanting to know what Kate would say about that.

"True."

Before Kate could say anything else, Rick said, "You know, you can stay at the loft for as long as you like."

"I appreciate that, Castle but…"

"There's no buts about it. Remember that we're still…" Castle stopped to make sure no one was around before whispering, "Married."

Dealing with her apartment troubles had Kate almost forget about being married to Castle.

"Still, I don't want to overstay my welcome," Kate said. Even though she liked staying at the loft with Castle and his family, she did not want him to know.

"You won't. It'll just make things easier for you if you don't have to worry about finding a temporary place to stay," Castle said to her as reached over and gave Kate's hand a reassuring squeeze.

Kate returned the sentiment with a squeeze of her own as she replied, "Thanks, Castle. Now let's take a look at my apartment to see how bad it is."

Castle gave her a nod as the got up and went to the elevator to take them to Kate's floor. The rode the elevator in silence and remained that way until Kate opened the door to her place.

"What a mess," Kate said as she inspected the water damage herself.

"Things could always have been worse, Beckett," Castle mentioned.

"How?"

"When you opened your door, we could've been greeted by a tidal wave of water."

They both laughed at that. Kate appreciated Castle's humour, even though dealing with a soggy apartment was not a laughing matter. It did make her feel a bit better about it. The floor was relatively dry but any part that was carpeted was a different story. Those parts were still fairly damp but not soaking wet.

"So, what's the game plan, Detective?" Castle asked, wondering what his friend wanted to handle first.

"For now, I think I'll need to get all my clothes together first," Kate told him as she went to her bedroom.

"It looks like I'll finally be able to get into your drawers."

Kate groaned at Castle's comment as he followed her to her bedroom. Kate then is unnecessary then pulled out a couple of suitcases and a duffel bag from her closet.

Castle made his way to her dresser, but Kate told him to start at the closet. Disappointed, he went about his assigned task. Everything that was hung up, he took out and placed on the bed so that Kate could decide what to do with it.

"What about your footwear?" Castle asked after he placed the last of Kate's clothes that were hung up on the bed.

"Just put them by the bed. I'll figure out what to do with them in a bit," she replied after everything she had in her dresser was placed into a suitcase.

Kate noticed that Castle had found a pair of garment bags and started to put some of her clothes in them. She was grateful to have his help; she really needed it on such short notice.

"What else are you planning on taking out of here?" Castle asked curiously.

"Besides clothing you mean?" Kate asked right back.

"Yeah."

"That's a very good question, Castle. My only thoughts were on my clothes. Anything that wasn't in the apartment when I got it. But I have no idea what how I'm going to get all that stuff out of here."

"I may have an idea. Would you mind if some of your stuff is placed in storage for a while?"

Kate mulled Castle's question for a bit before answering, "I don't think I have that much of a choice, because I don't think you can put all my stuff in your loft."

"My place would not be able to hold it all, sorry. Anyway, I was thinking about getting in touch with a storage company so you can store whatever we can't take back to the loft. I can also call a moving company to help take your stuff there."

"That's probably my only option. Go ahead and make some calls. I'll finish up with my coat closet."

By the time Kate had all of her clothes packed and ready to go, Castle had secured both a storage space and a moving company. As they were loading up Castle's SUV, Kate suggested that they return after dropping off her clothes. When they returned the pair could figure out what goes in storage and what she could take with her back to the loft.

Before going back to Kate's apartment they decided to get something to eat. Therefore a quick trip to Remy's for burgers and fries was taken. Once they were done, they arrived at Kate's apartment, where she marked each item that needed to be stored. That took most of the afternoon.

When they were done, the plopped down on her couch which was relatively dry, fortunately for them.

"Thanks for your help, Castle. I appreciate it," Kate said as she leaned her head back.

"Not a problem, Beckett," Castle replied, and then he remembered something he wanted to do. "Damn, I completely forgot!"

"What?"

"I was supposed to call my lawyer today about us being married. I completely forgot, sorry."

Kate gave him a reassuring pat on his leg. "Don't worry about it, Castle. I guess you won't be able to talk to him until Monday."

"Yeah, let's go home."

Kate gave him a nod as they got off her couch and headed out. She did not say anything about Castle's final comment, but Kate thought it was nice to consider the loft home.

* * *

><p><strong>AN:<strong> One reader has suggested that I do a one shot centered around the wedding. If there are more readers interested in that, I believe I can come up with something. So please leave a comment about that and what you thought of this chapter. Constructive criticism, as always, is welcome but flames are not.


	5. Chapter 5

**AN:** This chapter is lucky to get posted today. My laptop power adapter gave out on me earlier this morning so I had to get a replacement and luckily I was able to find one. Now, on with the show...

* * *

><p>Having to cope with the state of her apartment was stressful for Kate, luckily or unluckily, depending on your point of view, Castle was there to help her out. Just like he always seemed to be over the years she had known him.<p>

The rest of the weekend was spent in a relatively relaxed setting. Kate was able to peruse Castle's book collection and was not all that surprised at the number of books he had or the various genres that were there. She did find it funny that there was a set of Dr. Seuss books amongst them. Those books also brought a smile to her face as she wondered how many times he read those books to his daughter.

Kate also saw a set of books by Ian Fleming that contained a certain British spy. That brought her back to the time of almost losing Castle as her shadow because he was offered to take over the famous spy's series. She would never let Castle know this, but Kate was glad that he turned them down because she would miss him shadowing her.

Her eyes then spotted a series that she was very familiar with, Castle's books on _Derrick Storm_. Next to them sat the first two Nikki Heat books and it seemed as if Castle had left a space for the rapidly approaching third volume. She went back to gazing at the Storm series and pulled _Storm Fall_ off the shelf.

Finding a nearby chair, Kate sat down to read her chosen book again. A good part of the morning Kate was left to read the final adventure of Derrick Storm. Until her stomach told her it was time to eat.

Marking her place in the book and getting up from the chair with a stretch, Kate ventured into the kitchen.

"Hey, Kate," greeted Alexis as she entered the kitchen.

That was followed by, "Hey, Beckett," from Castle who was there as well.

"Enjoyed your morning of reading?" Castle asked before heading back towards the refrigerator.

"I did, thank you, very much. I must say that you have an amazing collection of books," Kate replied as she took a stool by the breakfast bar.

"Thanks, I'm really proud of them."

"You must be for you to include Dr. Seuss," Kate told him with a laugh.

"Well, those books hold a special place in my heart," Castle responded as he wrapped an arm around Alexis, giving her a little squeeze.

With a smile Kate added, "I bet they do."

"Dad read me those a lot when I was younger," Alexis said as she too remembered back with a smile.

Changing the subject, Castle addressed Kate, "You ready for lunch, Beckett?"

Kate was about to answer when her stomach provided one for her.

"I'll take that as a yes. We have a few different kinds of cold cuts and whatever else you might like for a sandwich."

Castle, with a flourish, showed Kate all the fixings she could possibly want on a sandwich, which included lettuce, pickles and cheese.

Grabbing a couple of slices of bread, they each went about preparing their own sandwich. Once they were done, they each grabbed a stool and dug in.

* * *

><p><em>Later that day<em>

Kate read a little more before deciding that she had read enough for the day. Entering the living room, she noticed that it was completely empty...or so she thought. Seconds later, she heard the familiar sound of laser tag firing. It was not much longer that she spotted both Castle and his daughter swiftly moving through the room to find cover while shooting at the other.

"Hey, Kate," Alexis stated, popping up to get a shot at her father.

"I hope I'm not interrupting," said Kate as she tried to avoid getting in the middle of their game.

Seeing his daughter slightly distracted, Castle grabbed a cushion from the couch and tossed it in her direction. Unfortunately, he tossed the cushion a little harder than he intended and in the wrong direction.

"You know, Kate, you can join us if you want," Alexis told her not seeing the cushion coming their way.

"I don't think…" was all Kate could say before she got smacked in the side of the head with a couch cushion. "On second thought, I think it may be fun to join you."

Castle overheard the exchange and gulped in worry and perhaps in fear as well. He did find it funny that he had hit Beckett instead of his daughter. _I am so going to pay for that_, he thought.

"You're a dead man, Castle," stated Kate as Alexis gave her a vest and gun of her own to use.

"You'll have to find me first, detective," came Castle's reply.

* * *

><p>That evening, Rick was glad that he was not feeling the effects from playing laser tag with his daughter and Kate, especially after getting double teamed by them. He did see that coming after the cushion incident. Even though that was an accident, it was still kind of funny how Kate reacted.<p>

After all that fun and a nice dinner, he thought it was a good time to sit down and write. Rick had completed plotting three chapters for the next _Nikki Heat_ novel. When that was done, he decided to start writing the first of those plotted chapters. The words were flowing out of him with ease by the amount written in just a few minutes. It seemed that having his inspiration around was helping to get his writing done.

Kate thought the day went rather well. The best part had been clobbering Castle at laser tag. She had to admit that Alexis was a big help, and she had really enjoyed seeing the father and daughter interaction. Being a part of it had been nice, and she felt honoured that she had been included. Deciding to call it a night so that she could get a good night's sleep before heading to the Twelfth in the morning, Kate headed to the guestroom. Passing by Castle's office, she watched as the author typed away on his laptop.

"And you say when I do that it's creepy," Castle said as he finished with the sentence that he was working on to look over at Kate in the doorway.

Startled at being discovered, Kate quickly regained her composure saying, "When you do it, I say that it is."

Castle laughed as he closed his laptop.

"Perhaps, from a certain point of view it could seem that way."

"You quoting _Star Wars_ on me, Castle?"

"Maybe. Anyway, I want to say that I am truly sorry about what happened. I just wanted to distract Alexis and my aim was a little…"

"Off? It certainly was. But out of the kindness of my heart I'll forgive you. Just let it happen again."

"Deal. You retiring for the night?"

"Yeah," Kate answered as she stepped further into Castle's office to stand right beside him. "Tomorrow is going to be a busy day."

After hearing that, an idea popped in Castle's head. "You know, Kate, and this is totally your call, you can let me handle getting your stuff stored. I know what stuff needs to go, and all you'll have to worry about is doing your job. So, what do you think?"

"Castle," Kate started as the author prepared to hear the worst, "that sounds fine and that'll be one less thing I have to worry about."

"All right. It will probably take most of the morning…"

"Ah, another benefit," Kate swiftly interjected, "you'll be out of my hair for the morning."

"Ha ha ha, very funny, Detective. Don't quit your day job. Anyway, when that is done I'll come down to the Twelfth to, as you said, 'get in your hair' so I can give you the key to your storage unit. After work, we can go down there and you can take a look for yourself to see if there is anything you want to take to the loft."

"Okay, I'll see you in the morning." Just before leaving, Kate leaned down and gave Castle a kiss on the cheek. "Night, Castle."

"G-g-g-good night, Beckett," was Castle's surprised reply as he watched the lovely detective leave his office.

A huge grin formed on Castle's face and instead of going to bed himself he opened his laptop to get some more writing done. _Now that is some inspiration_, Castle thought as his fingers tapped away on his laptop.

_Where did that come from_, Kate thought going to her room. As Kate continued on, she could not help the small grin that appeared on her face.

* * *

><p>The following morning when Castle and Beckett first saw each other in the kitchen, not a word was said about the kiss.<p>

"Good morning, Beckett," Castle greeted as he flipped a pancake.

"And to you as well, Castle. Sleep well?" Kate asked as she went over to pour herself a cup of coffee.

"Not bad, you?"

"Can't complain."

Before anything else was said, Alexis came in. "Good morning, Dad, Kate. Do I smell pancakes?"

"That you do, sweetie. They're also your favourite kind," Castle said putting a plate on the breakfast bar for her and one for Kate.

"And what kind is that?" Kate asked, taking her place next to Alexis.

"Chocolate chip," answered Alexis just before taking a bite and savouring it. "Go ahead, Kate, give 'em a try."

She did give the Castle-made pancakes a try. "Wow! These are good." Kate immediately dug back into her pancakes.

All Castle could do was smile at the detective appreciatively. He finished making the final pancake, placed it on his plate and joined the two ladies in enjoying breakfast.

When they were done, Castle told them that he would clean up so they could get ready to start their day. A few minutes later, Alexis came back to the kitchen and grabbed the lunch her father had prepared for her.

"Have a good day at school, sweetie," Castle said, finishing the breakfast dishes.

"You too, Dad," replied Alexis giving, her father a kiss before heading out the door.

Just after Alexis left, Kate reappeared. "Alexis just leave?"

"Yeah," came Castle's reply. "By the way, I think I need the key to your place if you want your stuff put in storage today."

"That would be a bit difficult without it." Kate pulled her keys from her purse and took her apartment key off the key ring and passed over to Castle. "There you go."

Castle took her key and put it in his pants pocket. "I'll make sure that they handle everything carefully. I still think it will take a good part of the morning so I probably won't be down to the precinct until noon."

"That should be fine because me and the boys will probably be doing paperwork if a body doesn't drop before you get there."

"You know, I can let you know when I'm on my way and we can grab lunch at Remy's. What do you think, Beckett?"

"Sounds good, Castle," Kate said and took a look at her father's watch, "I probably should get going. One more thing, don't forget to call your lawyer about…"

"Yeah, I know, and I'll let you know how things go with that."

"Good, see ya later, Castle."

Just before Kate went out the door, Castle grabbed her by the wrist to stop her and gave her a kiss on the cheek. "That you will, Detective. That you will."

The door closed behind her as Kate went over to the elevator with her head in a fog. _What in the world possessed him to do that_, Kate thought on her way down. She wasn't sure if it was in response to the one she gave him last night, but it did bring a smile to her face.

Castle grinned at what he had just done. _I wonder what Kate thinks of that_, he thought as he grabbed his cell to head over to Beckett's to wait for the movers. It was still too early to call his lawyer. But before the morning was over, Castle would make that call even though he liked being married to Kate despite how it happened.

* * *

><p><strong>AN:<strong> There will be a companion piece to this story. So, some of you wanted it and you will get a look into Castle and Beckett's Vegas wedding. I've just started writing it. Once I finish, find a beta and edit it, posting will not be that far off. I hope to post it before this one is completed, so keep your fingers crossed. Reviews/constructive criticism give me inspiration and I could use it for wedding one-shot and they are very welcome. Flames are not welcome and slow down the writing process.


	6. Chapter 6

**AN:** Here's the next chapter, enjoy!

* * *

><p>The last couple of weeks had been slow going because Beckett and her team did not have an active case, so most of their time was used in preparation for the Sloan case. When not preparing for that case, they worked on some cold cases to see if they could make some more headway into those particular investigations.<p>

Castle was not around the precinct much during that time as there was no active case going. When he did come in, he tried to be of assistance especially when Beckett and the boys were looking into cold cases. The rest of Castle's time was spent working on the next _Nikki Heat_ novel.

Even though Kate was staying at the loft, and thankfully wasn't catching any flack from Ryan and Esposito about that fact, he missed going in to the Twelfth with her. To a certain degree, Beckett felt the same, especially when he only spent a few hours there.

News about Kate's apartment was not good since repairs had not started yet. They were still taking stuff out that was there when she moved in. Luckily all her belongings were gone and safely stored. When Castle took her to the storage facility, Kate was impressed with how everything was arranged in her storage unit.

She had also realized that staying with Castle and his family was not all that bad. In fact, Kate was enjoying herself there. When she wanted her space to be alone, Kate had it and, to her surprise, Castle respected that. Sometimes Kate was surprised at what Castle and Alexis included her in especially when she mentioned that she did not want to intrude on their time together. Of course, they never thought that Kate was intruding. She did enjoy spending time with them, especially with Alexis because she really started to get to know the teen better.

The other thing that weighed on both her and Castle's minds was their marriage. Castle had told Beckett that he got in touch with his lawyer about it. Unfortunately, the lawyer had told Castle that he had a backlog of cases that he was working on and that he may not get to Rick's right away. He did tell Rick to check back with him from time to time because he may not be able to do so himself. When Castle told Kate about this, her reaction stunned him a bit. She was a little disappointed but not overly so and understood that it could not be helped.

Neither one of them let that interfere while they worked together.

"Good morning," Castle greeted as he took his regular place beside Beckett's desk and placed a coffee on the detective's desk.

"Morning, Castle," returned Ryan from his paperwork.

"Morning, bro," was the Esposito who was doing some paperwork of his own.

"I didn't think you were going to come in today," Beckett told him, a little surprised to see him.

"Without an active case, I've had plenty of time to write and since I'm ahead of schedule I thought I would visit my favourite detectives to see if I can impart some of my words of wisdom or my amazing insight to help with some cold case you are looking into."

"Well, we won't be getting much help then," Beckett said with a smile.

Ryan and Esposito heard that and laughed.

Castle was about to fire back with a witty remark of his own when Beckett's phone rang.

"Beckett," she stated as went for a pen and paper. "All right, we'll be there in thirty."

She finished scribbling down the address on a note pad and tore it off.

"We got ourselves a body?" Castle asked.

"Over at the corner of W 56th and Madison Avenue," stated Beckett grabbing her gun, badge, and jacket.

She passed off the address to the boys as they all went to the elevator but Castle grabbed Beckett by the arm.

"Beckett, can I have a word?"

"Can we talk about it on our way to the crime scene?" Beckett answered with a question of her own.

Castle gave a nod as the four of them got into the elevator to head down to the precinct's garage.

Once inside Beckett's Crown Vic, she said as they pulled out onto the streets of New York, "All right, Castle, spill."

"I did have an ulterior reason to come in today. Before coming over, I was able to talk to my lawyer, Max Steadman. He still hasn't had the time to look into it for us yet."

Castle could tell by the look on Beckett's face that she was not thrilled with what he had told her.

"So, we still are in a holding pattern then?"

"Not necessarily. He did give us on option that I told him I would have to run by you first."

"I'm all ears."

"Max said that he could recommend someone who could handle this sooner than he could."

Kate mulled over what Castle had just told her. Getting an attorney to look at their 'case' soon would be nice but…

"Would you know the attorney taking over for Max?" Beckett asked as they neared the crime scene.

"I might but it's not a guarantee."

Kate mulled over what Castle had just told her. It would be nice to get their 'marriage' situation taken care of swiftly but the one drawback was how many people would get knowledge of her and Castle being married. She felt that she was stuck between a rock and a hard place.

They pulled up to the crime scene before Kate spoke. "Even though it will take longer, I think it's in our best interest that Max looks into it. That way, he's the only one that will know besides us that we're married."

"I'll let him know once we're done here," Castle replied as the got out of the car and went over to the taped off area that was the crime scene.

"All right."

Before they got too far, Castle grabbed Beckett by the hand to stop her and said, "Are you okay with this?"

"Yes… No… I don't really know."

"We'll get through this, Kate, you and me, but it will just take time."

Kate just nodded her head while Castle gave her hand a reassuring squeeze. She gave him a small smile in thanks to that. Now they had to turn their focus to the dead body awaiting them.

As they approached, Dr. Lanie Parish had watched the exchange between her friend and the author. _I wonder what that is all about_, she thought as she continued looking at the victim.

"What do you have for us, Lanie?" Kate asked once she and Castle reached the body.

* * *

><p>It had been a little over a week since Beckett and her team had investigated the death of fifty-one year old Brent Mitchner. The case started off easy as the vic had his ID on him at the time of death. Robbery was ruled out because he still had some cash and credit cards in his wallet when his body was discovered.<p>

They had learned that Brent had a wife named Monica as well as a brother, Tim. Like all cases, it was hard informing the family about the death of a loved one. What made it worse was how that family member had died. Plus it did not make things easier when they had to question the family about how this could have occurred and if they knew of anyone that would want to harm the man.

Beckett had given Ryan and Esposito the task of looking into the wife and brother, especially their financials. Everything turned out fine with Monica and she had also alibied out. Tim, the brother, was a different story on both fronts. They had found that Tim had a recent deposit of twenty thousand dollars.

The boys found out that the brothers were working on some type of investment deal. Each of them would put up twenty thousand dollars. When that was discovered, Beckett and Castle talked to Monica about the investment opportunity. She told the duo about the deal and how Brent was doing his homework on it to see if it was ideal for them to follow through with. Unfortunately, that was all Monica knew, but she did give Beckett the name of the company that would handle the transaction.

Tri Corp was their destination and when they got there, the case took a very interesting turn. Castle and Beckett were able to talk with the man that was working on the deal with the Mitchner brothers. He told them that he had a meeting with the brothers on the day Brent was killed and that Brent was not eager to invest. Also, they learned that the brothers were arguing as they left. This gave Tim motive, making him their top suspect. It was time for them to have a little chat with the grieving brother.

Beckett called Ryan and Esposito telling them to meet them at Tim Mitchner's apartment. Just before ending the phone conversation, she also told the boys what she and Castle had learned at Tri Corp. It was not long after Castle and Beckett arrived that Ryan and Esposito showed up. Taking no chances, they all put on their vests, which included Castle's 'Writer' vest.

"Tim Mitchner, this is the NYPD, open up," Beckett shouted after pounding on the door.

No answer was given to the request. Beckett then instructed Esposito to break the door down. On a three count, that is exactly what happened.

Ryan went in first and he was followed by Esposito, both with their guns raised. Beckett and Castle went next.

"Castle, you stay right behind me," Beckett instructed her shadow when they passed through the door.

"I know, Beckett…" Castle started to say when out of the corner of his eye saw some movement and an all too familiar looking weapon. "Gun!"

Castle's warning was followed by a couple of gunshots while he pushed Beckett out of the way. Ryan and Esposito took cover before firing back. One of their shots nailed Mitchner in the arm, making him drop his weapon.

The boys secured the man's weapon while cuffing him and reading him his rights.

"You okay over there, Beckett?" Esposito asked bringing Mitchner up to his feet.

"Yeah, I'm fine," replied Beckett getting up a little slowly from the floor. "Come on, Castle, you can get up now."

At Beckett's request, Castle still had not gotten up. She turned around to see him still on the floor but noticed some blood on the author's shoulder.

"Castle! You guys better tell the paramedics hurry, it looks like he's been shot," Beckett told with boys with a worried tone.

She felt slightly helpless waiting because if Castle's injury was serious, Kate would have a tough phone call to make to Alexis and Martha. That was one she truly did not want to make and so she hoped the paramedics got to them and quickly.

* * *

><p>Kate brought Castle home early that evening. His injury was not as bad as she had thought. Castle got grazed by Mitchner's first shot. When the paramedics had arrived, Castle began to stir as they prepared him for a trip to the hospital. While he was getting his shoulder taken care of, Kate called Alexis and Martha to let them know what had happened. After Castle's shoulder got patched up, the emergency doctor examined him for a concussion and the tests revealed that he did not have one. It was soon after that they gave him release forms, and he and Beckett were good to go home.<p>

When they walked through the loft door, Alexis was there to give her dad a big hug.

"Glad you're okay, dad," Alexis said with relief.

"Me too, sweetie," replied Castle after letting his little girl go.

Once father and daughter were separated, Alexis gave Beckett a hug.

"I'm glad you're okay too, Kate," Alexis told the detective warmly.

"Thanks, Alexis," Kate returned happily.

"Where's your grandmother?" Castle asked, hanging up his and Beckett's jackets.

"Oh you know, Gram," Alexis told them, "she said not to wait up."

Castle smirked at what his daughter had said. _That is so like mother_, he thought before asking, "So, what's for dinner?"

"How does pizza sound? It was delivered a few minutes before you guys got here."

"After the day we've had, pizza sounds delightful."

Alexis laced her arms with her father and Kate as they went to the kitchen to eat.

* * *

><p>When everyone had ventured off to bed, Rick stayed up to do some writing as he was not tired despite what happened to him. Unfortunately, the words just were not coming to him so roughly a half hour later Rick decided to call it a night. While heading to his room, he heard noise coming from the guestroom.<p>

"Kate, is everything all right?" Rick asked.

"Come on, Castle, you're not going to leave me like this," said Kate as she tossed and turned in her bed.

Rick knew that Kate was having a nightmare and there was only one thing for him to do, wake her up.

"Kate, you're having a bad dream," he told her as he tried to stop Kate's thrashing.

"Damn it, Rick, stay with me! I lo…"

"Kate, wake up!"

"Castle!" Kate shouted as turned towards as tears fell from her face.

"Its okay, Kate, I'm right here," Castle soothed as he held her tightly, rubbing small circles on her back.

Kate held onto him a little tighter as she sniffled, trying to regain control over her emotions. "I'm sorry, Castle, I didn't mean to…"

"There's nothing for you to be sorry for, Kate. You were just having a bad dream. Everything is fine. Do you think you can get back to sleep?"

Kate nodded her head and was finally able to let Castle go. As he was about to get up, Kate grabbed him by the wrist stopping him.

"Rick?" Kate asked as wiped the remaining tears from her face.

He knew right away that whatever Kate was going to say would be serious as she used his first name. "Yeah, Kate."

"Would you mind staying with me, please?"

Her request tore at Rick's heart especially knowing how hard it was for Kate to ask.

"Sure," was his answer as Kate pulled back the covers for him to slide right in beside her.

"No funny business, Castle," Kate warned him.

"I wouldn't dream of it. On second thought, I think I would."

Kate gave Castle a playful smack on the arm while he chuckled at her.

"Good night, Castle."

"Good night, Beckett."

They both settled themselves down to sleep but before Rick fell to unconsciousness, he felt Kate snuggled up close and wrapped her arms around him. He could only smile at that as he finally fell asleep.

* * *

><p><strong>AN:<strong> Another chapter comes to a close and I would like to hear what you think by leaving a review because I like to hear what you think. Flames are definitely unwelcome.


	7. Chapter 7

**AN:** I have important news to share so I'll let you read this latest chapter and tell you more about it in the author's notes at the end. Happy reading.

* * *

><p>As Kate slowly woke, she felt very refreshed. She had not felt this well from a good night's sleep in a very long time. Because of her nightmare, it was odd that Kate felt that way. Thinking of the previous night, she was glad that Castle was there for her. Kate turned her head to realize that her head was not on her pillow but resting on Castle's chest. Also, she had an arm wrapped around him.<p>

To her surprise, Kate did not mind her current position, and it brought a small smile to her face. Kate felt the steady rise and fall of his chest and if she was afraid that if she stayed in her current position much longer, she'd go back to sleep. Still, she continued to watch the person she considered her partner blissfully sleep.

"Now who's the one being creepy," Castle sleepily stated as he slowly started to wake.

Kate chuckled as she got off her 'pillow' and settled down beside him. "Takes one to know one."

"So very true. How did you sleep?"

"Good, very good, in fact. I haven't slept that well in a while."

"Is it because of nightmares?"

"Not always. Sometimes it's just the crazy hours I work. When I'm really involved in a case, that's when I don't get the sleep I should."

Castle nodded as he had first hand knowledge about how difficult her working hours could be. To a point, he could relate because inspiration struck at various times and he had spent time writing long into the night when he needed to get something down.

"I don't want to push," Castle began as he faced her on the bed and gently rubbed her arm. "Do you want to talk about it? Your nightmare from last night."

Kate shook her head saying, "No and thanks for not pushing. I just don't feel like talking about it."

"Okay, just so you know that whenever you want to talk you can come to me. For anything."

"I know," Kate replied with a smile before leaning over to give him a kiss on the cheek.

"What was that for?"

"For being there for me when I needed someone."

"Always," Castle told her as they both got out of bed and went to prepare for whatever the day would throw at them.

* * *

><p>Before she left the loft for the Twelfth, Beckett had told Castle that he did not need to show up today and not because of the paper work. What truly surprised her, he agreed to not go in. To say she was shocked would be an understatement so much so that Kate placed a hand on Castle's forehead to see if he had a fever. Their morning had been uneventful one as Beckett, Ryan and Esposito had spent the first few hours of their work day doing paperwork related to the Mitchner case.<p>

Castle did ask if he could take her and the boys out for lunch. Kate knew that her co-workers would never pass up a meal, especially when Castle was paying. She agreed to his terms and told him to come by the precinct around noon.

In between the paperwork, Monica Mitchner had stopped by to learn what had happened the day before concerning her husband's murder. Beckett led her to an empty conference room and explained to her that it was her brother-in-law that had killed her husband. Continuing her explanation, Beckett informed Mrs. Mitchner that her husband and brother-in-law were arguing about their investment plans. She then said that Brent wanted out and Tim had shot so he could take the money for himself.

"I knew they were arguing about it but Brent just brushed it off when I asked him about it. But I never would've guessed that Tim would…" Monica could not finish as she started sobbing.

Kate placed a comforting hand on the grieving woman's shoulder. "Sometimes it's difficult to understand what motivates a person to do something like your husband's brother did."

"Thank you for finding who killed, Brent, even though it turned out to be Tim."

"Just doing my job, Mrs. Mitchner."

* * *

><p>Kate was glad when the day ended and she got to go home. Of course, it was just her temporary home, but the longer she stayed the more like home it became. That night, Martha joined them for dinner and a movie. Dinner conversation was certainly lively with Castle's mother around but was enjoyable. One of the rare times Kate could see the whole Castle clan in all their glory brought a smile to her face. She could see that the public persona her partner showed was totally different from the one seen by his family. This side of Castle was something she would like to see more often.<p>

After watching the eighties classic _Ferris Bueller's Day Off_, everyone decided to turn in for the evening. Once Kate was ready for bed, she was slightly hesitant about getting in. A knock at her door temporarily brought her out of her current musings.

She opened the door to see Castle standing there and he said, "Just want to wish you a good night."

Castle was about to leave when Kate said, "Castle, wait."

He stopped and was back at the guest bedroom door. "Something the matter, Beckett?"

"No… Yes… I just don't know."

Seeing the lovely detective out of sorts, Castle took her hand and led them to the bed and sat done at the foot of it.

"Kate, if there is something bothering, you can talk to me about it. Remember what I said this morning?" She nodded her head answering his question. "Good, whenever you're ready, I'm willing to listen."

Kate was feeling completely embarrassed about what she was about to ask. So, gathering her courage she asked, "Would you mind spending the night with me?"

Understanding dawned on Castle's face and then he answered, "Now that is something I can do for you, easily."

"Thank you."

"You don't need to thank me, it would be a pleasure."

"Oh, I bet it certainly is."

Their little banter exchange put Kate at ease and that did not go unnoticed by the man sitting next to her.

"It's about the nightmares, isn't it?" Castle asked seriously as they crawled into bed.

"Yeah, it is," replied Kate as she settled herself on her side.

"I see, but remember I'm here for you whenever you need me."

"I know and you being here now is…"

"No problem, Kate. You can use me _any_ way you want," Castle told her waggling his eyebrows.

Kate laughed giving him a playful swat on his chest. "Let's get some sleep, Castle."

"Your wish is my command, milady."

Castle turned the lights off saying, "Night, Kate, sweet dreams."

"You too, Castle."

Just like the night before, Kate snuggled up closely to Castle and they were soon fast asleep.

* * *

><p>The following morning when Kate awoke, she was alone. She felt a little disappointed at that, and she didn't really understand why. Brushing those thoughts aside, she went about getting ready for the day after a second night of peaceful sleep.<p>

As Kate was just entering the kitchen, Alexis was leaving with backpack slung over her shoulder and a piece of toast in hand.

"Good morning, Kate. See you later. Bye, Dad, have a good day," Alexis said as she headed out the door.

"You too, pumpkin," Castle shouted out as he saw Kate fix herself a cup of coffee. "Good morning, detective."

Castle placed a plate full of scrambled eggs in front of her as well as a plate of bacon and some toast.

"Good morning and thanks," Kate said as she started to eat but then asked, "Where's Alexis off to so early?"

"She had a project to finish with some of her classmates and the only time for them to get together to finish it was this morning," Castle answered her as he took a stool next to her and grabbed some bacon and toast for himself. "Sleep well last night?"

"Yeah, thanks again for putting up with me."

"Think nothing of it. You'd do the same for me."

Kate did not have to think on how to answer Castle's statement. "Yeah, I would."

The next few minutes were spent in amicable silence as they finished their breakfast. When the finished, they rinsed their plates off and placed them in the dishwasher.

"I thought Martha would've come down for breakfast?" Kate asked after the dishwasher was loaded.

"Mother likes to sleep in, especially when she knows that she'll have a late night the following day," Castle answered. "By the way, I've been meaning to give you something since you've been staying here."

Castle dug around in his pants pocket and placed a key into Kate's hand.

Kate asked looking over the key, "What is this?"

"Isn't it obvious? And they call you a detective."

"I know it's a key, writer-boy, but what's it for?"

Castle winced at the term 'writer-boy', not liking to be called that but let it slide just this once. "It's a key to the loft."

"Wha… Why?" Kate stammered out, with the key still in hand.

"You said so yourself that you work odd hours at time and, because of that, we won't always come home at the same time. Also, if I have to do a book signing and I'm not around I don't want you to have to depend on Alexis or Mother to let you in," Castle explained to her.

Kate saw the reasoning in that because she would hate to have to bother anyone just to get inside.

"Thanks, and you can have it back when my apartment situation is taken care of."

"No, that key you can keep."

"Castle, I can't keep this," Kate told him, surprised and a little touched at the gesture.

"Yes you can, Kate. I want you to feel not only welcome here but that you can come and go as you please."

Kate just looked at the key in her hand, thinking. This truly showed how much Castle trusted her. Kate knew that the trust was mutual especially with her telling him about her mother's murder. Also everything that he had done to help her get answers concerning her mother's death cemented that trust even more. But this, getting a key to his loft, that was certainly another layer of trust.

"All right, I'll keep it. Thanks, Castle, for trusting me with it."

"I have no reason not to trust you, Beckett. But I think it's time to get going."

Going into Castle's office, they retrieved Kate's gun and badge and headed off to the Twelfth.

* * *

><p>Over the next few weeks, the key that Kate had was put to use. A few times when she was by herself Kate used the key. But when either Castle or Alexis was with her and they could not get into the loft themselves, she used it then as well. So having the key to the loft had come in handy.<p>

Spending time with Alexis was almost becoming a regular thing with Kate. They would go shopping, get a bite to eat, or go to a movie despite the fact that Castle would pout when they did not want him accompanying them. Sometimes, she would help the teen with her homework. Kate knew that Alexis was a special girl and all the time spent with her showed her why and that warmed her heart.

During that time, she tried to return to sleeping on her own. Unfortunately, the cases they had worked on were not helping her to get to sleep. So, her nights were spent with Castle sleeping next to her. There was a stretch of a few days that he had to be out of town. Kate found it very hard to sleep peacefully. Luckily, Castle gave her contact information to reach him and she used it. Talking with him helped a bit but it was not the same. When he finally returned home, no one could tell who was happier to see him, her or Alexis.

It was an early evening at the precinct one day with Kate wanting to finish some paperwork. To her surprise, Castle decided to stay with her. She had told him he could go home but he had refused. He seemed a little off throughout the day and it worried her a bit.

"Kate?" Castle asked hesitantly.

"Castle?" She fired back putting the last of her paperwork in her outbox and gathered her things so they could leave.

"I was wondering…"

"Wondering what? You know you can tell me anything, Castle."

Taking a deep breath, Rick asked a question that he had been meaning to ask for a while now, "I was wondering if you would like to go out on a date with me?"

A shocked Kate Beckett just stood there not knowing what to say.

* * *

><p><strong>AN:<strong> As some of you who have been following this story for a while, I said I was working on the wedding that took place between Rick and Kate early in the story. Well, I have some good news. I finished it the other day and got it betaed and edited so I'll be posting it later today. I hope you enjoy it as much as this. The title of it is very simple, _Strange Bedfellows - The Wedding_. Keep an eye out for it or check my profile from time to time.

As always, I like to hear what you think so please leave a review. Flames are not welcome.


	8. Chapter 8

**AN:** Here's the next chapter and I hope you enjoy it. If you haven't read it yet, and there may be a few that haven't, _Strange Bedfellows - The Wedding_ shows how Rick and Kate got married. I think you'll like it and I know it would make me happy, lol. Give it a read after you check out and review this chapter. Enjoy!

* * *

><p>Kate still did not know what to say about Castle asking her out on a date. Despite the fact that the homicide division was practically empty, she grabbed his arm and ushered him into the break room.<p>

When she closed the door, Kate finally found her voice. "You want to go on a date, with me?"

Castle led her over to a couple of chairs, sat down, and answered, "Yes, I wouldn't have asked you if I didn't."

Kate wanted to say 'yes' so very badly. Things between them had been going so well and with her break up with Josh a distant memory, she was ready to start dating again. But dating Rick Castle, famous mystery novelist, would be totally different from guys she'd seen in the past because their relationship would be more public. The only hitch was if she could handle it.

Facing him and looking Castle straight in the eye she asked, "Why now?"

Before he said anything, Castle made sure that anyone who was still out in the bullpen was not looking their way. Taking a hold of her hands, he spoke, "Actually, I've been meaning to ask for a while now since we're both unattached. Plus you are too beautiful to stay single for long and I'm tired of this dance. You know I care about you, a lot, right?"

Kate nodded for him to continue.

"I know I have made some mistakes in the past concerning my previous relationships and I believe they have prepared me for something special. That something is you, Kate, and I know there's a risk involved with us getting together. But I think we're worth the risk. So, what do you say, Kate?"

_Wow_, Kate thought as she was moved at what Castle had told her. Were they worth the risk? Her heart was saying yes while Kate's head was telling her no. But boy, she truly wanted to try. These past few years with Castle certainly were different but in a good way. Kate knew that he would not intentionally hurt her despite the fact that he had the power to do so.

It took her a couple of minutes, while she watched him wait, for Kate to come up with an answer.

"Yes, Rick, I'll go out with you," Kate told him with a smile.

"Really?"

"Yes, really."

"Thank you, thank you, thank you," Rick said as he brought Kate into a hug. "You won't regret it."

"Oh, I don't know about that," Kate teased as they ended their embrace.

"Very funny, Kate. One week from Friday, does that sound good to you?"

As they left the break room, Kate answered, "Next Friday sounds good to me."

"Good, I think I know the perfect place for us to go to."

"Where?" Kate asked once they got to the elevator and inside.

Rick answered just as the doors closed, "Oh, I want it to be a surprise."

* * *

><p>The week went by just as Kate had expected it to when she agreed to go out with Castle; it moved as slow as molasses. Not a single body had dropped in the city, so they had no active case to work. That left only paperwork. Luckily, the monotony of paperwork was broken up by going to court to provide testimony on a case that they had closed.<p>

As the days passed, there was only one thing nagging at Kate and that was where Castle was taking her on their date. She knew that it should not matter where they went, but Kate was just curious. Every time she inquired about where they were going, he flat out refused to tell her. That did not leave the detective too many other options to find out. She did try asking Alexis.

"_Alexis, can I ask you something?" Kate queried as she and the teen sat at the breakfast bar._

"_Sure, Kate, ask away," Alexis said over her bowl of cereal._

"_You know that your dad and I are going out this Friday." Alexis gave her a smiling nod that she knew and approved that they were going out. "Okay, do you know where your father intends to take me?"_

"_Yeah, dad told me once he finished making all the arrangements."_

"_That's great, Alexis. Would you mind telling me…"_

_Before Kate could say anymore, Alexis cut her off. "I'm sorry, Kate, I can't tell you where you're going. Dad's sworn me to secrecy."_

"_Oh for cryin' out loud!" Kate exclaimed, disappointed that she was still out of the loop. Then an idea popped in her head. "I wonder if he told Martha about…"_

"_I hate to burst your bubble, Kate, but I don't think Grams knows," Alexis informed her._

"_Damn," was all Kate could say as she plopped down next to the teen._

"_Why are you so worried about where he's taking you?"_

"_I know that I shouldn't be but you know your dad, especially how he likes to do things over the top."_

_Alexis threw an arm around Kate's shoulders and gave her a half hug saying, "That's true but when it comes to you, Kate, dad wants to do things right because he doesn't want to screw things up."_

"_Thanks, Alexis. That makes me feel a little better."_

_Kate returned the girl's hug with one of her own._

"_You're welcome, but I wouldn't worry because I think you'll enjoy where dad is taking you."_

After that talk with Alexis, Kate decided to stop asking. When the day for their date arrived she did learn something about it. Castle told her that it was not a formal wear place they were going to but to dress a little more than casual. _That certainly was a big help_, she thought sarcastically but it did give Kate an idea on what to wear.

Castle had left the precinct early, telling her that there was one last detail he needed to take care of. Kate refrained from asking questions and promised him that she would not be much longer. To her credit, Kate decided to head to the loft about an hour after Castle had taken his leave.

When she got to the loft, Kate heard the shower running and figured that if Castle was getting ready, she should too.

After her shower, Kate dried her hair and put on a dress that she thought Castle would enjoy seeing her in. It was a strapless light blue dress that showed off her curves and ended just above the knees. Kate wore a pair of matching pumps. She then put on some makeup, took a final look in the guest bathroom, and was ready for her date.

When Kate came out of her room, so did Castle.

"Wow, Kate, you look, amazing," Castle said to Kate when he first saw her.

"You're not looking so bad yourself, Castle," Kate returned the compliment, admiring his grey suit, matching tie, and white dress shirt.

Rick extended his had towards Kate and she placed hers in his. He guided her, with a smile firmly planted on his face, to the closet so they could grab their coats.

"Look at the both of you," Alexis told them once she had spotted them from where she was doing her homework. "Dad, Kate, you look great."

"I agree with Alexis. Kiddos, you certainly look wonderful," added Martha as she came out of the kitchen with a glass of wine in hand.

"Thank you," chorused Rick and Kate with a laugh as they put on their coats.

"Enjoy your evening, you two," Martha said, happy that her son and the detective were finally getting their acts together.

"But not too much fun," teased Alexis as she went back to her homework.

"I'll try, but Kate may have other plans," Rick told his family as he waggled his eyebrows before heading out the door with is lovely date.

Just before the door closed, Martha and Alexis could hear Kate saying, "Come on, lover boy, it's time you showed me where we're going."

Back in the loft, Alexis turned to her grandmother. "They certainly make an interesting couple, don't they?"

"That they do, kiddo," replied Martha happily.

When they got out of Castle's building, there was a car waiting to outside to take them to the mystery restaurant.

"So, when are you going to tell me where we're going?" Kate asked once she and Rick were settled in the town car's back seat.

"Would you like to take a guess?" Rick answered with a question of his own as the car started on its way.

"Oh for Pete's… Alexis did mention that it was somewhere that I would like."

"She did, did she? Trying to pry my secrets out of my daughter were you?" Rick asked with a smirk.

"I had to try something since I couldn't get any answers from you."

"True, and Alexis was right, you will like where we're going."

"Okay, then I can assume that it's a place I've been to before?"

"I believe you have, yes."

Kate began to get frustrated especially since she could not see where they were going because of the car's tinted windows. That left asking questions as her only option.

"Are you ever going to tell me?" Kate asked directly.

"Well, I could tell you right now," Castle told her and watched Kate's face brighten. "But what would be the fun in that?"

Kate grumbled under breath and answered his question with a playful swat.

"I'll just have to wait until we get there won't I?"

"You won't have to wait much longer because I think we're there," Castle told her as the car pulled up to the curb and stopped. "Now, close your eyes."

"Are you serious…?" Kate tried to ask but Castle was already out of the car opening her door.

Playing along, Kate did as she was asked. "This place better be good, Castle, or so help me…"

"Easy there, Detective, just take it cool," Castle told her as he guided her inside. Once inside the restaurant, he instructed, "You can open your eyes now, Kate."

Kate looked around now that she was allowed to. The place did look familiar to her but she just could not remember the name of the place.

"I should know where we are but I just don't…" Kate said, still trying to piece together where they were.

"Geez, Becks, I guess my restaurant didn't make that much of an impression on you," a voice that made Castle smile said from just behind.

Kate turned around to face the person who just spoke and smiled. "Maddie?"

"Good to see you, Becks, and you to, Rick," Madison told the pair just before wrapping Kate in a friendly hug.

"So, you were in on all this?" Kate asked once she and Madison separated.

"If you are referring to you and Rick eating here this evening, yes. He called to see about making a reservation for you two, so I helped him set it up."

"I thought that you would enjoy coming here, especially since its Madison's place. She was able to make it as private as she could so that we'd enjoy our meal in peace," Rick told Kate with a smile.

"Thanks," Kate said, touched that he had considered her privacy, and then added, "Rick."

Hearing her say his first name brought a smile to his face, so he grabbed her hand and gave it a squeeze in thanks.

"Let me show you to your table," Madison told them, leading them to their table.

Madison took them to a semi-private part of her place. When they got to the table, Rick held out Kate's chair for her.

"Always the gentleman, eh, Castle," Kate teased with a smirk despite the fact she enjoyed seeing this side to him.

"But of course, milady," Rick replied with a bow before taking a seat right next to her.

Once they were seated, Madison mentioned, "I'll bring you both some wine to go with your food, which will be here shortly."

"Don't tell me you already had Maddie prepare something for us?" Kate asked in surprise.

"Being that Madison guaranteed we would like what she prepared and I trust her judgment," Rick explained to Kate.

"Yeah, Becks, have I ever steered you wrong?" Madison asked.

"Well, there was this one time…" Kate began but her mouth was hastily covered with Madison's hand.

"Anyway, enjoy your meal. Rick, it was nice seeing you again. Becks don't be a stranger."

"Thanks, Madison, for everything," Rick told her with a smile.

"Yes, thanks, Maddie," Kate told her friend.

"You're welcome." Just before Madison left, she whispered in Kate's ear, "Rick went to a lot of trouble arranging this, Kate. That alone shows how much he cares about you."

Kate whispered back while smiling at her dinner companion, "That is something I have no doubt about."

Once Madison had left, a waiter came by with a bottle of wine and proceeded to pour a glass for each of them.

Rick proposed a toast, "To… Possibilities."

"To Possibilities," Kate returned and they clinked glasses.

Their date went very well. Kate and Rick enjoyed what Madison prepared for them, and they made sure to tell her so before they left. They also promised they would be back and that the next time Rick would bring his daughter and mother with them so they could experience Madison's culinary skills.

When the town car came to pick them up, Kate thought that the date had come to an end but she was wrong. The next couple of hours, they danced the remainder of the evening away. To say Kate was enjoying herself would be an understatement. She could not remember the last time she had so much fun with Castle. That really was not much of a surprise because she knew the author could be fun. He did such an incredible job of making their first date special. It shocked her thinking of their date as a first of many to come. It also wasn't a thought that dreaded her either.

After dancing, they called it a night and went back to the loft.

"I will say this, Castle, you truly know how to show a girl a good time," Kate said to him as she gave him her coat to put away.

"I'm glad you enjoyed tonight," stated Rick as they made their way through the loft.

"But there is one thing that you forgot, Rick."

Hearing Kate call him by his first name would never get old with him. "What's that?"

"Dessert."

"Well, I guess I'll have to owe you, Kate."

"Oh, I think I got it covered."

Kate turned to face Rick, placed her hands on his face and brought him forward to touch her lips to his. It did not take him long to return her kiss, and his hands wrapped around her waist so he could bring her closer to deepen it.

Without breaking apart, they made their way into Rick's bedroom. It was not until they hit the foot of the bed and fell onto it that they ended their make out session.

"Wow, Kate that was…" Rick tried to get out what he was feeling, but it was hard to put into words, especially with Kate lying on top of him.

"Extraordinary," Kate uttered in a sultry tone before lowering her head so she could capture his lips again.

Their lips were not the only thing that was busy as their hands began to explore as well. Kate's found the buttons on Rick's shirt and, as she kissed down the side of his neck she began to undo them.

Rick stopped Kate's movements by bringing her face back up to his, asking, "Kate, are you sure?"

"Yes, Rick, I am," Kate answered, pressing a brief kiss to his lips.

Kate went back to what she was doing as she undid the last button and removed Rick's shirt. Now it was his turn to remove something from her. He located the zipper at the back of Kate's dress and he slowly pulled it down. She wiggled herself out of the dress, leaving her in a lacy black bra and panties.

"You are beautiful," Rick told her, taking her all in before he began kissing her neck.

She then take out then found his belt, undid it, and tugged down his zipper. With shaking hands, she helped Rick to take out to remove his pants.

"You don't look so bad yourself, writer-boy," Kate said. Seeing him in just his boxes added to the desire that was quickly taking over her body.

"That's writer-man," Rick said as he sucked on her earlobe.

"Prove it," Kate groaned out passionately.

"That is a challenge I can definitely answer."

It did not take them long to remove the rest of their clothing. Plus, Rick was able to prove Kate wrong.

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><p><strong>AN:<strong> That's all for this chapter. As the old saying goes, all good things must come to an end and this story is almost there. I have one more chapter to go and I hope you have enjoyed this as much as I have with writing it.

As always, please leave a review because I like hearing what you think. Flames are unwanted.


	9. Chapter 9

**AN:** Here it is, the final chapter to _Strange Bedfellows_. Enjoy!

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><p>When Rick woke the following morning, he was greeted with a sight that made him smile. Kate was still asleep but was draped across Rick's bare chest. The other times he has seen her like this were different because he now felt that she was his. Of course, he would not say that to her.<p>

Kate began to stir and slowly opened those green eyes that Rick was getting quite fond of seeing in the early morning.

"Morning," Kate softly said with a smile, pressing a gentle kiss on Rick's chest.

"Morning," replied Rick placing a kiss of his own on the top of Kate's head. "Sleep well?"

"Very, thank you," she answered in a sultry tone.

Rick chuckled at that but then turned serious. "Kate, there's something I think we need to talk about."

She knew from his tone that what he wanted to talk about was important and Kate had a pretty good idea what it was. Reluctantly she left her spot on Rick's chest, taking the sheet with her as she sat up to lean against the headboard.

Kate turned to look at Rick straight in the eye and said, "Okay."

Before he started, Rick grabbed her hand and twined their fingers together. "Last night was…"

"Incredible," Kate inserted when it appeared that Rick was not able to find the right words.

"Most definitely, but I don't want this, us, to be a one night thing. I want you to know that I'm serious about making this work, Kate, for the simple reason that I don't want to lose you."

Kate was moved, and she believed every word. The man beside her was not the same one she first met a little more than two years ago. Living with him and his family the last few months had opened her eyes about Rick Castle and during that time, her heart was opened as well.

"I don't want this to be one night either and I certainly want to see where things go between us. You know that I'm a one and done type of girl?" Rick answered by nodding his head and she gave his hand a gentle squeeze. "I'm hoping that my one and done is you."

"I would not be too surprised if it is."

Rick then captured Kate's lips in a heart warming kiss which quickly turned passionate.

Reluctantly, Kate pulled back to end the kiss saying, "We better stop because I'd hate to be late this morning, writer-boy."

"My fair detective, I thought I proved to you last night that I'm not writer-boy but writer-man. Twice," Rick told her smugly.

"How could I forget, writer-man?" Kate leaned back in for a quick kiss. "I guess it's time to get out of bed and into the shower. Care to join me?"

"You don't have to ask me twice."

They got out bed and into Rick's shower. At first they helped each other by washing but when hands began to roam kisses were exchanged and things snowballed from there to the start of round three between them that morning.

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><p>Kate could not believe that she had been living at the loft for a little over eight months. The work on her apartment had been slow going and it appeared that it would probably take the full year to fix it. She did not really care much about that now since she and Rick, it felt a little odd to refer to Castle by his first name but it did bring a smile to her face, were now a couple.<p>

One other thing that came to mind was their being married. Max, Castle's lawyer, had kept in touch with Rick about their situation. Through Rick, he had passed along that he was just starting to take a look at their problem it but it would still be perhaps several weeks before he could give them a definitive answer on what to do. What was surprising Kate was that she was not worried about it. At first, it was terrifying but now with their new relationship, it wasn't.

Being with Castle had made Kate very happy. She had not had this much fun with a man ever, not even when she was with Will, Tom, or even Josh. Kate felt that Rick really understood her and the baggage that she brought to the relationship. He knew everything about her and she in turn knew him as well as his baggage.

Also, Kate felt like she was part of a family again. Not that she and her father were not one but it felt more so with Rick, Alexis and even Martha. She was glad that Alexis and Martha approved of their relationship despite the fact that Rick had told her that they would. Spending time with them all together or in various combinations was nice. But it was the times that she and Rick spent alone that were truly wonderful, especially when they became more physical with each other, just like the other night.

On this day, Kate was waiting for Lanie. They had Saturday off and decided to have breakfast at a diner that they both enjoyed. In the back of her mind, Kate knew that her friend had an ulterior motive for getting together. All of their friends knew that Rick and Kate were seeing each other but what they did not know was how serious things were between them.

"Hey girl, were you waiting long?" Lanie asked as she slid into the chair across from Kate.

"No, just been thinking," replied Kate with a smile.

"With that smile on your face, I can only imagine who you were thinking about."

"Perhaps."

Before Lanie could grill her friend anymore, a waitress came by to take their order. Once that was done, the M.E. went right back to it.

Lanie seemed very interested in her friend's answer when she asked, "So, how has it been living with writer-boy all these months?"

"It's been good," Kate replied calmly, taking a sip of her coffee.

"Oh, I bet it's been more than good, girl."

"Maybe," Kate told her friend with a grin just as their food was arriving.

"You know this is like pulling out teeth to get the juicy details out of you about you and Castle. I'm your best friend, who else can you tell this kind of stuff to?"

"You know how private a person I am, Lanie. My relationship with Rick is…" Kate started but was quickly cut off.

"Wait, wait, wait just a minute here. You just referred to Castle by his first name."

"Well Rick is his name," Kate said and then went back to her scrambled eggs.

"Quit the crap, girl, or so help me…"

"All right, all right. Everything between me and Castle has been great, beyond that... Lanie, I haven't felt this way in a very long time. He gives me space when I need it and he is there for me when I need that. Spending time with him is wonderful and the same can be said for being with Alexis and Martha. I feel like I'm part of a real family for the first time since my mom died. Not that me and my dad aren't family but…"

Lanie reached over and grabbed Kate's hand to give it a reassuring squeeze. "I know, sweetie. I'm really happy for you."

"Thanks, Lane."

For the next few minutes they ate in silence just enjoying each other's company. When they were finished eating and only had their coffee left, Lanie had question for her friend that she just had to ask.

"There's something I need to ask you," Lanie began after taking a sip of her coffee. "Is Castle as good in bed as the rumors make him out to be?"

"Lanie!" Kate exclaimed. Luckily, she had not been drinking when she heard her friend's question.

"What? This inquiring mind wants, no, needs to know."

"Ok, just to keep you from asking me again. Yes, they're true, oh so _very_ true."

"Really?"

Kate took a sip from her coffee cup with a grin as she remembered what she and Rick did that morning and nodded in answer.

"So, has he told you that he loves you?"

"The first time was the other night. I've had the feeling that he loved me, but to actually hear the words come from him…"

"And did you say it back?"

Kate bowed her head, not wanting to look her friend in the eye. "No."

"Why not?"

"He caught me by surprise, but he told me when I know I feel the same, that's when I should say it."

"That's one special man to say that."

"Oh, don't I know it, Lanie."

"But aren't you falling for him?"

"I'm not falling in love with him, Lanie. I already am in love with him."

Hearing that, all Lanie could do was get up from her seat and wrap Kate in a congratulatory hug which Kate happily returned.

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><p><em>A few weeks later<em>

Kate still had not told Rick that she loved him; she wanted to find the perfect time to tell him. Lately, it never seemed to be the appropriate time. Despite that, things between them were great and Kate was still surprised at time by the fact that she was dating Rick Castle.

After a slow day at the precinct, Rick asked her if it was all right for him to head out. Kate was shocked that he would ask, but she told him to go right ahead. Minutes after he left, Kate wondered if the writer was up to something. She decided that she wouldn't put it past him as she continued with her paperwork.

It was just before six in the evening when Kate decided to head for home. She was really getting used to calling Castle's loft home. Once she got there and unlocked the door, she was greeted by an amazing sight. A beautifully set table for two with a pair of candles.

As her gaze was still focused on the table, Rick made his presence known, dressed to explicitly to impress her which he did not have to do but Kate appreciated it. "Good evening, madame. Would you like to freshen up before dinner?"

Stunned, Kate decided that she might as well go along with it. "Yes, I think I will."

"Excellent," Rick replied and escorted her to his room. Once they had become a couple, she had decided to move from the guestroom to his. It was a decision he didn't seem to have a problem with.

Leaving Kate to get ready, Rick went back to the kitchen to see how their meal was coming. He was preparing Chicken Alfredo for them.

Finishing her shower, Kate decided to dress up just like Rick had done. Finding a red dress that hugged her figure and showed off her legs, something that Rick had mentioned he liked seeing her in, she put it on.

"You look great, sweetheart," Rick told her as he came back in and placed a kiss on her cheek.

"Why thank you, kind sir," Kate replied as he pulled the chair out for her to sit in. "What's for dinner?"

"My world famous Chicken Alfredo."

"World famous, huh? Well, I look forward to it then."

It wasn't long after that Rick disappeared into the kitchen to return with plates filled with the meal he had prepared. Just before they started eating, he lit the candles to give their dining experience a little more romantic feel, especially with the lights turned down low.

A thought popped into Kate's head and so she asked, "Was this what you had in mind when you wanted to leave the precinct early?"

"Yes, I wanted it to be a surprise," Rick said as he took the chair across from her.

"It's a lovely surprise, but where are Alexis and Martha?"

"Alexis is spending the night at a friend's, while Mother is, well, Mother. She promised me that she would be out until tomorrow, so we have the place all to ourselves this evening."

"I guess I've got to put up with you then for the whole night. It makes me wonder what I did wrong to deserve that," Kate teased while she took a bite of her Chicken Alfredo.

"Ha ha, very funny. With comments like that, it makes me wonder why I fell in love with you in the first place," Rick replied evenly before taking a bite of his own.

"Aww, my poor baby." Kate then take out then got up and went over to Rick. "Maybe a kiss will make it better." Grabbing his face, she gave him a warm kiss on the lips before returning to her seat.

Rick's response was a wide grin and they spent the next several minutes in pleasant conversation while finishing their meal.

Once finished, Rick decided that it was time to talk to Kate about something that he could only tell her alone.

"Kate, Max got in touch with me today about our marriage and he gave me a couple of options that we could follow," Rick told her calmly despite his heart racing at what he was about to say.

A surprised look swiftly crossed Kate's face before she said, "Okay, let's hear what he had to say."

"By taking a look at the wedding video and giving it a thorough examination, he concluded that we could get an annulment based on our state of mind at the time. The other option is that we can just stay married. So, what do you think?"

_Max's options were straight to the point_, Kate thought as she mulled it over. At first, Kate would not have hesitated at getting the annulment, but now things had changed. Her feelings for Rick had grown from friendship to love and thoughts about a life without him beside her were not an option for her anymore. It was then that Kate arrived at her decision.

"I think we should stay married," Kate told him flat out.

"Really?"

"Yes, really."

Rick rose from his chair, went over to Kate and took her left hand in his. "Good, this makes what I'm about to do next that much easier." He then got down on one knee with her hand in his while using the other to procure a velvet covered box. "I've been in love with you for who knows how long and when we got together all those months ago, it felt right. Being with you, I can't fathom spending my life without you. Katherine Beckett, would you do me the honor and the pleasure of becoming my wife?" After a brief pause, he added with a smile, "Again."

Kate's eyes were filled with tears at Rick's question and answered happily, "Yes, I'll marry you." And just like her now fiancé did, she added after a pause, "Again."

Rick took the immaculate looking diamond ring out of the box and placed it on Kate's finger. They then sealed their engagement with a very passionate kiss.

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><p>The following morning the newly engaged couple shared a sensuous shower with together before they prepared to go to the precinct. As the both finished getting ready, Rick watched Kate put on her father's watch and then the chain that held her mother's ring. He then take out then took a double take at what he saw on it. Rick and Kate had decided that they wanted to tell everyone close to them about their engagement at a dinner party that they would have later in the week. So, instead of Kate wearing her engagement ring, she thought it would be nice to wear it with her mother's. Rick saw both of those rings but also another that was very familiar.<p>

"Kate is that what I think it is?" Rick asked gesturing at the chain she wore.

She looked down at the three rings and realized that he was referring to the third ring. "Yeah, it's my wedding ring," Kate answered calmly.

Rick could not help feeling a little touched that Kate had kept it there but he had to ask, "Why?"

"On some level, I enjoyed the fact that I was married to you. With how far we've come since then, I'm glad I kept it with my mother's ring."

"Wow, Kate, that's… I love you so much right now."

"And I love you, Rick."

They expressed their love for each other with a searing kiss. When they finally broke apart, they headed to the kitchen for breakfast.

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><p><em>Later that week<em>

Everyone had gathered at the loft for dinner without the knowledge of why they were there. Roy had brought his wife, Ryan was accompanied with his fiancée, Jenny, Esposito was with Lanie and that left Alexis, Martha, and Kate's father, Jim. They were all seated around a table in the living room with Rick and Kate at the head of it.

Rick clinked his glass to get everyone's attention. "I have the feeling that you are wondering why you are all here tonight. Well, Kate and I have an announcement that we'd like to share."

Kate then stood up beside him and continued, "Earlier in the week, Rick asked me to marry him. And I said yes."

But before anyone could say anything, Rick added just like the night he proposed, "Again."

They then started to get congratulations from everyone, Lanie realized what Castle had just said and asked the couple, "What do you mean by _again?_"

"What I mean is that Kate and I are already married but we want to have another ceremony with our family and friends present," Rick explained.

That revelation stunned everyone present.

"Dad?" questioned Alexis, surprised.

"Richard?" posed Martha, just as shocked as her granddaughter.

"Katie?" an also surprised Jim Beckett asked.

"Why didn't you tell me, and when did this happen?" Lanie asked.

"And to keep it a secret from us," added Ryan.

"Yeah," chimed in Esposito.

"I wouldn't mind hearing an answer to the second half of Dr. Parish's question," Montgomery said to the pair.

Rick and Kate had already quietly discussed how they would tell them and decided that the truth was the best. So, Rick kicked things off. "It all started after we had returned to the _Mirage_ from the LVPD…"

**The End**

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><p><strong>AN:<strong> That's it and I hope you enjoyed it. I would like to thank all the people that have read/reviewed/alerted this story. The response to this story has been incredible and it means a lot to me that it was well received. This isn't the last story in this fandom that I'll be writing because I have another one just waiting to get written. I do have another ready but probably won't post until next month.

I would like to hear what you thought on how this story came to an end and the only way to do that is by leaving a review. Flames are not wanted.


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